


Pictures of You

by CelestialTitania



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hawkmoth Defeat, post-reveal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:55:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26736976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CelestialTitania/pseuds/CelestialTitania
Summary: The battle is over and Hawkmoth is captured. All that's left is everything else. But Adrien isn't sure how he feels or what he's supposed to do now.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 20
Kudos: 110





	Pictures of You

**Author's Note:**

> Shoutout to  Khanofallorcs  for being an amazing beta reader. I hope everyone enjoys.

Adrien took in a deep breath as he stared at his father looking proud and unrepentant, even while handcuffed to his own side table. He turned to Ladybug, who nodded at him to go. He nodded back, eyes trailing towards his father. Nathalie at least, had the good conscience to be slumped on the floor, staring blankly at the tiles. She was handcuffed to the lamp on the other side of the room, so the two would be unable to coordinate and escape.

He looked at her for a few moments; the stoic secretary seemed to have become an empty husk. Adrien wasn't sure if it was the impact of her actions now hitting her or just shock that they had been caught. They'd been so surprised at the heroes' entry. Clearly, their current situation was something they had never even imagined.

His hesitance to leave gave Gabriel enough time to shout out something that shocked Adrien to his core.

"Everything I did, I did to bring my wife back! I will not apologize for that!" Adrien froze at the implication.

"What are you talking about?" Ladybug asked for him. Adrien felt like he couldn't even breathe. He needed to hear what his father had to say.

"When you fuse the Miraculous of the Ladybug and the Black Cat, you can obtain a Wish. Any Wish." Gabriel stated, in that same lecturing tone he used, whenever he was angry or disappointed in Adrien.

"What happens after you make the Wish?" He growled.

Gabriel looked taken aback at the question, blinking at Adrien uncomprehendingly.

"I said, what happens? You get your Wish and then what happens to everyone else? It can't be that simple!" Adrien snarled out in frustration.

"A sacrifice is needed," Gabriel shrugged. He was acting as if it meant little to him that he was essentially talking about cold-blooded murder. "Balance must be kept in the world."

Adrien recoiled in disgust; he couldn't believe that this was the man he'd spent so long trying to please. He could feel Ladybug's worried stare but he didn't turn to look at her. Instead, he stared his father in the eye, under the guise of Chat Noir.

"Then you should consider, that even if in some world you _had_ won? She would be ashamed of you."

Gabriel immediately began cursing at him, telling him how Adrien couldn't possibly know what Emilie was like. He had to bite back the urge to reveal himself, show his father that he knew exactly what he was talking about.

Ladybug walked up to him. "They're both handcuffed, Chat. They're not going anywhere. You go take a moment."

Adrien didn't want to leave Ladybug alone with his father, the monster who could talk about sacrificing innocents without even batting an eye. But he also physically couldn't remain in the same room as him without wanting to Cataclysm the man.

When Gabriel gave him another sneer, Adrien spun on his heel and walked out of the room. He trusted Ladybug with everything he had. If she thought she could handle it then he would believe her.

Once he was far enough, Adrien let his transformation drop and Plagg fell into his hands. Silently he fed his kwami, who was being uncharacteristically quiet.

He gave Plagg a tired look, knowing the kwami knew exactly what had transpired.

"Want me to Cataclysm him? I did it to the dinosaurs, I can get away with doing it to him too," Plagg offered quietly.

Adrien managed to crack a smile at that. "No, thanks though, Plagg. But the people of Paris deserve to see who was causing them so much pain and harm all these months."

"You're too nice," Plagg muttered, as he flew up, giving Adrien a little hug on his cheek. Adrien reached up to absently give Plagg a little head rub, his mind still on his father and the betrayal.

Without even thinking about it, he began to walk away from Plagg. The kwami was clearly able to tell Adrien was in pain and let him leave without comment.

He kept walking until he felt his foot dangle in the air and felt himself lurch forward. Blinking rapidly, he realized he had reached the staircase. Quickly he grabbed the railing to regain his balance.

He still couldn't believe it was all over. No more akumas, no more fighting. He felt a little shaky as he sat down on the top step of the stairs. How many times had he stood below, watching his father order him about, acting completely indifferent to Adrien's wellbeing? Completely indifferent to anything except for his goal. A goal Adrien had been unaware of.

He rested his arms on his knees and buried his head in them. All he wanted was a moment of peace and solitude before he had to face everyone else. Before he had to let the world know the akumatizations were over. That Hawkmoth had been defeated and Paris was safe. That Hawkmoth was Gabriel Agreste.

He sighed heavily and clenched his fists. He wished for just a moment he could disappear, that it wouldn't be his duty to take care of the mess his father had made. His head snapped up when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He twisted to see Marinette looking at him sadly.

"Marinette! Are they…?" His eyes flicked behind her.

"They're fine. I left them alone for a while. Of course, I've made sure they can 't escape or anything." Marinette took a breath before she spoke again.

"Adrien...are _you_ alright, Kitty?" Tikki and Plagg were hovering by her shoulders watching him just as sadly.

"I'll be alright," he brushed off, forcing a smile onto his face. "Did you get a chance to talk to Noroo and the peacock kwami...uh Duusu!"

His partner shook her head at him, making him falter. "Don't do that, Adrien. Don't ignore yourself for the sake of others. There's no rush, we didn't tell anyone we were coming to defeat Hawkmoth."

Adrien wanted to protest but Marinette kept speaking firmly. "You take all the time you need."

"I can't. We have to get Fa...Gabriel punished. He's hurt too many people," Adrien argued back. Marinette took a deep breath.

"Then you can still have at least today. To come to terms with everything. And you know I'm here for you, no matter what." Adrien tried looking away but she took his hand in hers and made eye contact with him. "You and me against the world. Remember?"

Adrien smiled back, his Lady had a way of bringing joy back into his life. "Always," he promised. "I just want to be alone for a little while though."

Marinette nodded and turned to leave while Plagg flew closer to Adrien. Adrien gave him a soft rub behind the ears. "Sorry, Plagg, you too. I just want to be by myself. Just for a few minutes."

Plagg watched Adrien carefully before acquiescing. "We're right here whenever you need us," Marinette reminded him before moving away.

Adrien rested his head again, this time staring off to the side. His father. Nathalie too, he could hardly believe they had been the ones behind all of this. And for what? To bring back his mother? He wanted that too, but their method was appalling.

That wasn't the worst part though. The worst part was that for a moment he'd almost been tempted.

If giving his father the Miraculous meant that he would have his mother back and that his father would be attentive again. The idea that he would have a _family_ again, that had almost been too much for him to refuse. Adrien hadn't wanted to resist. Surely his Lady would have understood. Plagg too.

But Adrien also knew better. Unlike his father, he knew that the price of using the magic of the Miraculous was too high to pay. What use was his own happiness if it meant that he would end up making everyone else around him miserable. Besides, unlike his father, Adrien _cared_ for other people.

It really sucked being a hero sometimes. At least Adrien knew he had made the right choice, the reminder of that was the only thing keeping him together. Even if it was hurting him so badly. Even if he had no idea what he was going to do or where he was going to go.

Stay with his Aunt Amelie perhaps? Since that meant staying with Félix too, it might give him the chance to patch things up with his cousin. But that would require moving to London and leaving behind all his friends. Leaving behind everyone he knew….leaving behind Marinette.

As much as a fresh start would probably help him, he couldn't leave her. Adrien stood up, feeling a wave of anxiety overpower him. He just needed to move, his free hand twisting the ring on his finger.

As he got up, he caught a glimpse of the portrait behind him. It was of him and his father. He looked miserable in it while his father seemed stern and proud. The same way Gabriel had looked as he lost. As when he'd told Adrien the lives of other people were cheap and replaceable.

For a moment, Adrien wanted to tear it down. Transform into Chat Noir and Cataclysm the picture out of existence. Then he took a deep breath and turned away. He didn't have to tarnish every memory to get the rage out of his system. He was better than that.

Destroying it wouldn't make him feel better anyways. What his father had been doing wasn't a small matter this time. Adrien ran a hand down his face and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.

Slowly he walked down the stairs, walking aimlessly through his house. Perhaps for the last time. Adrien shook his head, thinking like that wouldn't help him right now. He just needed to clear his head, those things were quite some time away.

First, they had to expose Fa...Gabriel to everyone. Without even noticing, Adrien had kept walking and nearly crashed into the wall. He blinked and stepped back to see it was the wall covered with his modelling pictures. He hadn't even realized when he'd come into his father's, no it was _Gabriel's_ , he had to remember that, workshop.

He traced his hand over one of his many shots. Not like there would be any normal pictures of him in this house. Was there anything in his life that wasn't staged? Anything at all, that wasn't just a pretense for the rest of the world?

Adrien doubted he would be having any more pictures taken. His modelling career would probably be over after this. A bitter smile twisted along his face at the thought. He'd never liked being a model but it was still another change he was unprepared for.

No more posing in front of the camera for hours on end. No more listening to Vincent talk about spaghetti.

Adrien walked along the wall full of pictures as he looked at each one, thinking back to when they were snapped. Happier times, they had been. Adrien kept walking until he reached the giant portrait of his mother.

His mother. Adrien was honestly surprised he hadn't broken down crying yet. What did that say about him? Did refusing to bring her back make him a bad son? If it were him, his mother would have done anything to bring him back. And yet he….He couldn't think like that.

He took another look at the painting of his mother. No, he knew he was right. If his mother knew what Gabriel had been doing she would be horrified. She would never approve of hurting other people for her own personal gain.

He may not have known his father but he definitely knew his mother. "She would want me to move on," he said to himself. His personal mantra, which had allowed him to get over her initial disappearance over a year ago.

With one final look, Adrien walked out of the workshop towards the main door of the house. He kept repeating his mantra in his mind to give him the strength to do what was needed.

He must have been in the workshop for quite some time because he saw Marinette pacing up and down in the dining room, the kwamis watching her worriedly. He noted Nooroo and Duusu hugging each other tightly, glad to finally be safe. Adrien felt a twinge of guilt that they'd had to go so long without being rescued.

He took another look at Marinette, whose pacing had become faster. He walked towards her quickly, a little anxious. He was hoping nothing else had gone wrong. She stopped pacing as soon as she saw him and ran towards him.

"Adrien! Are you alright?" His tension melted as he realized she had just been worried about him.

"I'm fine, Marinette. I think...I think we should get on with it," Adrien told her firmly to her surprise.

"Are you sure? I mean, you don't have to Adrien," Marinette began, her blue eyes filled with worry. He shook his head.

"I think I _need_ to. To get some closure," He held her hands trying to get her to understand. She began to nod reluctantly when something caught Adrien's eye. He looked upwards for a better look, mood plummeting once again as he noticed the family portrait.

Marinette followed his line of sight and let out a little sigh. He couldn't tear his eyes away. They were so _happy_ back then, his parents were clearly in love. Was their love so strong, so powerful that his father was willing to lose everything else?

And just why had Nathalie helped him on this mission then? Surely it wasn't in her contract.

"She loved him so much, his happiness was worth more to her than her own," Marinette answered him.

He looked at her in shock, trying to figure out how she had read his mind. In response she just gave him a wry smile.

"Oh, I spoke aloud didn't I?" Adrien let out a slight, bitter laugh. Marinette took his hand in hers and squeezed it, giving him as much support as she could. He pulled her closer, trying to calm himself.

A thought occurred to him. If his father could love his mother enough to become a supervillain, void of empathy, then what about him? Would he become that way if anything ever happened to Marinette? If there was anyone he loved as much as his father loved his mother, it was her.

Marinette pulled back a little, looking up at him completely shocked. Adrien worried a little, trying to figure out just what he had ended up saying this time. His thoughts were already all over the place. He didn't want to worry Marinette further.

"You l-love me?" She whispered before shaking her head frantically. "Ah no, no this isn't the time for that! F-forget I said anything!" She stammered out, but before Marinette could drive herself into a panic and pull away from him completely, Adrien held onto her tighter.

"I do," he told her unapologetically, silently willing for her to not freak out about this. She stared at him some more before smiling at him and pulling him into a hug.

"Is this a rejection, m'lady?" Adrien teased a little, feeling his heart lighten for just a moment. Marinette immediately pulled away and shook her head as hard as she could.

Adrien smirked and she turned a bright red. They took a few moments to be with each other in bashful silence. Then Marinette took a deep breath and frowned. It immediately sucked the playfulness out of Adrien as well.

"Marinette?" He questioned softly.

"Adrien, you can't use jokes to avoid talking about this. Please, just let me do it. You don't have to face…" she trailed off but he knew what she meant. He didn't have to face his father.

"I told you, Bugaboo. I need to," he said again, eyes once again firmly on the family picture. "But first, I want to talk to him."

"Talk to him?" Marinette echoed, not understanding where he was going with this. "You did speak to him."

He shook his head. "Not as Chat Noir. I want to speak to him as Adrien."

Marinette immediately tried to argue against that but he caught her eyes with his. He was hoping she knew him well enough to understand what he wanted without him having to say the words. And she did; they knew each other like the back of their hands. Marinette knew Adrien wasn't going to back down.

"Fine. But only for ten minutes. After that, Ladybug is coming in," she warned.

"That's plenty of time," he smiled at her trying to ease her worry. "Be careful?" She asked him, brows furrowed.

"He's no danger now," Adrien pointed out with a frown on his face.

"She's talking about your heart kid. Don't let yourself be crushed by him," Plagg spoke up. Adrien smiled at them both, trying to reassure them. They nodded back, graves looks on their faces. He darted a glance towards Tikki, who waved him off.

He relaxed knowing he could count on Tikki to keep Plagg and Marinette calm. Then he turned to hurry towards the room they were keeping his father in.

* * *

Adrien had probably already wasted two of his minutes just staring at the door, trying to get the courage to go inside. He took in a few deep breaths, just like how Nino had taught him. He had to do this.

"It's now or never, Adrien. You deserve answers and this time he cannot brush you off," Adrien talked to himself. "Be calm. Just be calm." He closed his eyes and impulsively pushed the door open. He walked in to see his father, who had been glaring at the wall, look up at him in surprise.

"Adrien?" Gabriel blinked, as if he had forgotten who Adrien was or that he even existed, Adrien noted bitterly. "Adrien!" Gabriel said, this time in realization.

"Quick, son! You have to get us out of here!" A smile was on Gabriel's face, the kind Adrien had never seen before. He looked half crazed, half delighted. Adrien felt a little repulsed, thinking that this must be the look that Gabriel had had every time he became Hawkmoth.

Nathalie was watching him expectantly, as if she too were waiting for Adrien to rush towards them and let them out.

"What's going on here?" Adrien asked, fighting to keep his voice calm, pretending as if he didn't know why Gabriel and Nathalie were in this position.

"Who did this to you two?" He continued his questions, adopting a panicked expression. Vincent didn't praise his facial expressions for nothing, after all.

Gabriel opened his mouth to explain before pausing and glancing at Nathalie. Adrien noticed her imperceptibly shake her head at Gabriel.

"Never you mind! Just let us out!" Gabriel ordered, clearly expecting to be obeyed without question. Perhaps if Adrien hadn't known why, he would have listened too. But Adrien did know.

"No, I don't think I will," Adrien spoke up. Gabriel had already turned away, so certain Adrien would listen. He enjoyed the look of shock and disbelief that crossed both Gabriel and Nathalie's faces.

Gabriel's face contorted with rage as he opened his mouth to yell at Adrien. But for once, Adrien held all the cards and he was going to use each and every one of them.

"I'm not letting you out until you tell me what happened here," Adrien insisted.

"You will let us out this instant!" Gabriel roared. Adrien looked back with a bored expression. "Or what?" He asked, carefully watching the way Gabriel's jaw went slack. Nathalie was staring at him apprehensively now, clearly suspecting that he knew more than he was letting on.

"Or I shall remove you from your beloved school," Gabriel threatened, clearly thinking he had played his trump card. Adrien pretended to think it over and gave a sigh of defeat, as he bowed his head. Gabriel was staring at him, face expressionless but eyes shining in triumph.

Then Adrien straightened. "And how do you expect to do that?"

Gabriel frowned, not expecting the question. "I beg your pardon?"

"You're handcuffed. So is Nathalie. And all the phones and other technology have already been removed," Adrien gestured around the nearly empty room to prove his point. "So Father, how do you expect to do such a thing?"

Gabriel was unable to respond. His usually passive, submissive son was finally showing he had claws and Gabriel couldn't handle this change. He had no idea how to react.

"So now are you going to tell how you and Nathalie ended up in this position?" Adrien asked innocently, while Gabriel gaped at him.

Adrien let his eyes widen as he pointed in realization. "Ah hah! I got it!" Then he pulled an expression of mock-disgust. "I know I said I was fine with Nathalie becoming a part of the family but this isn't quite what I meant," Adrien shook his head at Gabriel.

Gabriel's face had turned purple while Nathalie looked quite horrified. "Adrien!" Gabriel was shouting. "How _dare_ you insinuate such a thing!"

"I thought I told you, _Father_ , anything that makes you happy is welcome!" Adrien beamed, only barely able to keep himself from snarling on the word 'father.'

Gabriel had probably planned on shouting some more, hoping a louder volume would scare Adrien into listening when Nathalie cut in. "You already know, don't you?"

Gabriel twisted his head to look at Nathalie in confusion. "Know?" He repeated, unable to understand.

"Ladybug and Chat Noir must have already told you everything," Nathalie continued. "That's why you're acting like this."

Gabriel was scoffing but Adrien was tired of pretending. "So you do have a brain of your own!" He mocked. "Where was it when _he_ was using mind control on other people?" Adrien demanded. He had trusted Nathalie and this is what she had done. He had been willing to give her, his mother's place and she...Adrien gritted his teeth trying to control himself.

"Adrien," Gabriel was still trying to take charge of the situation. "Whatever they told you were all lies."

"Oh really?" Adrien stared at his f...Gabriel, amazed at how easy it was for him to lie. "So you aren't Hawkmoth then?"

Gabriel hesitated for a moment, trying to decide if telling the truth was worth it or not. He must have realized that nothing he could say would make Adrien believe he wasn't the butterfly-themed hero.

"No, I am," Gabriel accepted. "But you have to listen to me," he tried again but Adrien interrupted.

"So you _have_ been the one whose been akumatizing my friends and acquaintances. Who put me in danger over and over again. The one who–," here Adrien paused to take a breath, tired of yelling.

"Yes, yes that was me. But it was all for a good reason!" Gabriel was insisting.

"Well?" Adrien demanded, as if he didn't already know. "What reason could be good enough to explain you ignoring your son for months. For putting him in danger and now ruining his life!" Adrien yelled the last part, finally losing his temper.

"To get you your mother back!" Gabriel cried out desperately.

"Mom is gone," Adrien growled out.

"Yes, but she can be brought back with the power of the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous!" Gabriel outlined his plan and told Adrien of the capsule in the basement which was keeping his mother's body from undergoing the process of rigor mortis, much to Adrien's horror and disgust.

"Y-you've been keeping mom _where_?" He whispered. Gabriel kept talking over him.

"All it would take is the sacrifice of some idiot no one cares about and things will be alright again. I'm doing this for your happiness!" Gabriel was saying, the sincerity of what he believed in, clear in his voice. "You just have to let us out of here and help me get the Butterfly Miraculous back. Or perhaps the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous directly! Then we can have Emilie again!"

Gabriel was spouting a horrific parody of what Adrien himself had been thinking a few moments ago.

Adrien fell back a little, unable to digest how insane his father had truly become. Is this what love had done to him?

"Why are you going to such lengths? Why can't you just move on?" Adrien voiced, his fears getting the better of him.

"Why?" Gabriel blinked. "Isn't it obvious?"

Adrien slowly shook his head, unable...unwilling to understand. "I love your mother more than anything in the world," Gabriel said matter-of-factly. Then he took a hard look at Adrien.

His voice seemed dangerous when he asked Adrien if he loved his mother.

"Of course I love her!" Adrien shot back immediately.

"Then you will help us!" Gabriel smiled at Adrien proudly, for perhaps the first time in his life. And Adrien didn't like it. He had always yearned for that look and today he realized he was better off without it.

"No! No, I won't," Adrien denied.

Nathalie remained silent through it all, always the observer, even as Gabriel scowled furiously at Adrien.

"You claim to love your mother and yet you can't do such a tiny thing for her? What kind of son are you?" Despite Gabriel throwing Adrien's previous insecurities back at him, Adrien felt a strange sense of calm.

"It's _because_ I love her that I know that she wouldn't want this. Mom was the kindest person on the planet and if she could hear you right now? She would regret ever having known you," he told Gabriel with conviction.

Gabriel scoffed at Adrien. "I always knew you were a weakling," he spat. Adrien let the insult slide off his back, his firm belief that he was in the right keeping him grounded.

He turned to Nathalie. "When we love people, we help them by bringing them back on the right path. Not by pushing them deeper into the darkness."

Nathalie flinched at his words but remained quiet, still unable to admit her wrongdoing. Adrien wanted to shake her, he had known her for so long that he could tell that she _knew_ she had been wrong.

And yet she'd still helped? Even knowing her love would never be requited, she'd helped. Adrien didn't know what to say or even how to react.

In a way, she'd been family to him too. Her betrayal was just as bad. Nathalie looked up to see the disappointment clear in Adrien's eyes.

She quickly turned away, unable to face him. He sighed and walked away. Just as he was about to exit the room, he turned back to say one final thing to them both.

"I'm glad Ladybug and Chat Noir won. And I'm glad to have had the opportunity to have helped them."

Gabriel and Nathalie's heads both snapped towards Adrien at that. Adrien let out his inner Chat Noir to give them both a vicious smile. "I do hope you both will enjoy your time in prison," he wished them with all the sincerity he could muster, before walking away.

He could hear Gabriel and Nathalie shouting in outrage behind him but he didn't pay them any heed. His heart felt lighter and he himself felt free, the way he usually only did as Chat Noir.

He felt so good, he didn't pay attention to where he was going and ended up crashing straight into Ladybug.

They were both about to fall to the floor, when he twisted himself, grabbed her hand and pulled, so that she would land on top of him.

They both groaned as the wind was knocked out of them. He was slightly worse off having landed on his back and Ladybug on his stomach. As Ladybug tried to get up, she slipped and fell back down on him.

He gave her a soft smile making her turn a lovely shade of red. Ladybug pushed herself upwards and quickly stood up looking at him in disapproval, much to his disappointment.

He used his arm as support, so he was sitting upright. "Hello, Ladybug," he greeted.

She frowned harder. "It had been eleven minutes," she told him, making him blink at her.

"Had you been counting?" Adrien asked incredulously.

"Right down to the second," Ladybug nodded firmly. Adrien felt a warmth grow inside of him, making him feel loved and cared for.

"You know you didn't have to do that," he told her anyways, not wanting to be a burden on her.

"Of course I did," Ladybug dismissed, making Adrien droop. She continued, oblivious to his change in mood, "I had to make sure he didn't try to hurt you. I know how much it would affect you, Adrien. Also, I heard yelling, are you okay?" He perked up immediately. Ladybug was watching him intensely, her worry clear.

He smiled at her, the warmth of her worry enveloping him. It felt nice, he'd so rarely felt such an emotion. "I'm fine, Ladybug," he promised. "I got some things I needed to say out of my system. I honestly feel much better."

Ladybug narrowed her eyes at him, trying to read between the lines and make sure he wasn't hiding anything. When she was satisfied, she nodded.

'Okay good."

"Not good!" Came a little, snarky voice. Adrien glanced to his side to see Plagg was conducting his own examination.

"Hmm," the kwami was humming, as he seemed to check out every angle.

"Plagg? What are you doing?" Ladybug asked for Adrien.

"The kid has a nasty habit of downplaying his emotions. I had to verify for myself," Plagg told Ladybug proudly. She beamed at him in agreement and even gave him some cheese as a reward, much to Adrien's indignation.

"I'm not _that_ bad," Adrien muttered, a little put out.

"Yes, you are," Ladybug and Plagg chorused simultaneously. Adrien frowned at them both. They stared back impassively.

At last Adrien broke. "Okay fine, maybe I am that bad." Ladybug and Plagg smiled in victory even doing their own little 'pound it.' "You two have been spending far too much time together," he shook his head at them.

"That's your own fault," Plagg shrugged as he came to rest on Adrien's shoulder. Adrien scratched Plagg's head gently as he sighed.

"It's time isn't it?" He asked Ladybug. She looked at him uncertainly.

"Adrien, are you sure?" She asked again. Adrien simply nodded and summoned his transformation.

"Shall we, m'lady?" He gave Ladybug a sweeping bow, hoping she would play along. Humor was the only way he'd be able to cope with everything that was going to happen. She smiled back at him sadly but nodded. "We shall, Kitty."

Together they walked towards the room where they were keeping Gabriel and Nathalie. As they did, Ladybug's hand found his. "I'm with you every step of the way, Chat Noir."

"Thank you, Ladybug," he whispered back, giving her hand a soft squeeze. They stopped in front of the door, both of them needing a second to take in a deep breath.

They opened the door to see Gabriel glaring at them both. Nathalie was passively watching them, her expression a mixture of frustration and hopelessness.

"You've already taken our Miraculous, what now?" Nathalie was the one to ask, much to Adrien's surprise. She hadn't spoken up before now and had even seemed slightly ashamed. He didn't sense any such emotion from her now.

"How amewsing that you don't know. Why, Miss Mayura, you're going to get to become a jail-bird!" Chat Noir said mock-glee in his voice, as he glared daggers at her.

Nathalie's eyes widened in alarm, clearly she hadn't thought Adrien was being serious. He watched her with contempt.

Ladybug silently walked over to Gabriel and handcuffed his other hand, forcing him to stand. "We're going to take you to the police. They will be the ones who will deal with you until it is time for your trial and subsequent sentencing."

Gabriel merely sneered at her. "Where is Adrien?" He asked abruptly as Adrien pulled Nathalie to her feet.

"Safe," Ladybug answered curtly after a moment. Gabriel kept looking at the door, looking expectant. With a start, Adrien realized his father was waiting for _his_ arrival. Well, Adrien wasn't at all sorry to let him know that his son would not be coming to his rescue.

When Gabriel finally realized that Adrien truly was not coming, he shook his head in disappointment. "The boy always was a coward. He'll regret not coming," Gabriel vowed.

Adrien wanted to step forward but Ladybug's voice rang out before he could. "Adrien is no coward and the only thing he could ever regret is knowing you!"

Adrien felt his mouth dry up and his heart swell as he stared at Ladybug while she passionately defended him.

"She's right. Adrien is the one who told us to get you out of here; he'll never regret this," Adrien chimed in.

"Chat Noir. Ladybug. Both of you are making a terrible mistake," Gabriel changed tactics.

"The only mistake is that we weren't able to figure out you were the one behind everything sooner," Ladybug replied, pushing Gabriel out the door.

"M. Raincomprix is outside. I've asked him to be discreet about everything for now," Ladybug told him, as they marched Nathalie and Gabriel to the front of the house.

"Why? You're not going to gloat in victory?" Gabriel asked snidely.

"No. We won't. But not because we care for you or for your reputation!" Adrien snarled, his father's righteous attitude making him angry once again.

"Down, Kitty," Ladybug muttered. "But he's right. It's not for you, it's for your son. So he has the time to gather himself and come to terms with everything that's happened." Her gaze was firmly on Adrien and he gave her a nod to let her know he would be okay.

"Say whatever you want. One day, victory will be mine." They ignored him and kept moving.

Once outside, they found M. Raincomprix standing with three other officers in unmarked cars.

"Chat Noir. Ladybug. Are you both certain?" M. Raincomprix questioned them as his colleagues put Gabriel and Nathalie into separate cars. As he was dragged away, Gabriel gave the heroes a nasty sneer and let out one last parting comment. "Both you and my useless son will regret this!"

Ladybug gave him a disgusted look, before turning to Adrien. He shook his head at her slightly, firmly keeping his attention on M. Raincomprix. The police officer hadn't noticed Adrien's reaction, too busy glaring at Gabriel himself.

"We retrieved the Butterfly and Peacock Miraculous ourselves," Ladybug told him. M. Raicomprix nodded, most of his attention on Gabriel.

"My daughter goes to school with the man's son," he said in disgust. "Where is the boy?"

"Adrien was the one who helped us get Gabriel," Ladybug immediately rebutted.

M. Raincomprix waved her off. "I'm not blaming him, Ladybug. I just want to make sure he's okay." Adrien stared at M. Raincomprix in surprise. He had never expected the police officer to care.

"He's fine," he spoke up, overwhelmed by the concern the man was exhibiting. M. Raincomprix took a hard look at both superheroes before nodding.

"You take care of him now. And thank you both for saving the city for good." Ladybug and Adrien shared a glance remembering how M. Raincomprix had thought them incompetent when they'd first begun superheroing. It was nice to see how far they'd come.

"Thank you, sir," Ladybug smiled. "And thank you again for keeping things quiet."

He nodded at them once again. "Of course. It would cause too much of a scandal if everything was done so quickly in the open."

"You mean the mayor," Adrien sighed. Everyone knew how close Adrien Agreste and Chloé were. The idea that André Bourgeois had an idea of what Gabriel was up to, was sure to pop up.

M. Raincomprix shrugged in agreement. "You both will have to come in to give a statement. Adrien too, though his statement can wait for some time."

They both thanked the officers once again and watched as they drove away from the Agreste mansion.

Once they were gone, Adrien could feel himself going shaky and he stumbled as they turned to go back inside.

"Chat Noir!" Ladybug exclaimed in alarm as she caught him. Tossing his arm over her shoulders, Ladybug helped him get inside. Once they were inside and safe from any prying eyes, she released her transformation.

Quietly she helped him sit down on the couch before encouraging him to let go of his own transformation.

Adrien did so numbly. He had thought he had been ready. That talking to his father had released his emotions and that he could face everything about to come his way.

"Adrien?" Marinette, Plagg and Tikki were all looking at him in worry. He tried to speak but nothing came out. He didn't know what to say or how to act. He didn't want to admit it but his father's parting remarks had hurt.

Marinette put a hand on his shoulder and sat down next to him. He could feel her firm hand grounding him.

"You're shivering," she observed. He was? Oh, he was. His teeth were chattering. Adrien hadn't even noticed. Marinette asked Plagg and Tikki to get a blanket as she slowly rubbed circles on his back. The repetitive motion and her soft touch released the tension he had been carrying in his shoulders.

He hadn't realized how wound up he was until he let go, feeling the energy drain out of his body. He collapsed on Marinette, resting his head on her shoulder. Silently, she reached with her other hand and carded her fingers through his hair.

Her movement was relaxing and he let out a little whine of protest when she stopped for a moment. Marinette silently kept going, letting her presence comfort him more than any of her words ever could. He could feel the worry and care radiating from her. For him.

The motion also reminded him of his mother. She used to lull him to sleep by playing with his hair when he had been younger. The motion had always soothed him.

A lump lodged in his throat, at the thought of his mother, as he raised his arms to hug Marinette. He buried his head in her shoulders as she moved her arms to properly hug him back. He could feel tears gathering in the corners of his eyes.

Marinette pulled him in tighter, when he tried to pull away for a moment. He took in a breath as he moved his head to rest his chin on her shoulder.

The move helped him get some much needed air, but feeling Marinette's concern had broken the dam. The tears freely spilled down his cheeks, their hotness warming his cool face.

Marinette was patting his head now as his cries became louder. He could feel his entire body shaking as he sobbed, holding onto Marinette like a lifeline.

He noticed his tears were making Marinette's shoulder damp and tried to move again. Marinette wouldn't let him go though. "M-Marinette," he got out as he took in deep breaths, trying to control himself.

"It's okay, Adrien. Just let it all out," Marinette shushed him, as he began crying again, When he was all cried out, he sniffled. Marinette gently pulled away and handed him a box of tissues. He frowned at them with blurry eyes, trying to figure out where they'd come from.

He looked around as he blew his nose, to see Plagg and Tikki staring at him in worry, Marinette had the same worry written all over her face.

"I'm alright now," he promised them.

Marinette shook her head at him, presumably about to scold him for trying to downplay his feelings but he spoke before she could. "I really am okay now."

Marientte looked deep into his eyes. Softly, she said his name. Adrien could feel his face about to crumple again so he shook his head.

"You win," he sighed. "I'm not okay."

"I don't want to win, but bottling your emotions has never helped," Marinette replied. "Please tell me how you're feeling?" She pleaded with him.

He sniffled again, as he tried to get his thoughts in order. He had so many different things running through his mind and this reaction was because he had become so overwhelmed. But he didn't know how to articulate any of it.

Marinette took his hand in hers, drawing images on his palm. He looked at her and she smiled at him.

"I'm right here. Take it one step at a time. Okay?"

He nodded. "I guess the first one is obvious."

"Your dad?" It wasn't a question but he nodded in response anyways.

"Him being the supervillain we've been fighting all this time was bad enough. Him wanting to sacrifice innocents for his own gain worse. I just don't know why he was so certain that I would come racing in to save him, I told him point blank that I helped get his Miraculous taken away and still he…"

"He underestimated you and your desire to do the right thing," Marinette said. Adrien hummed non-committedly, making Marinette's eyes narrow.

"Adrien?" She was staring at him trying to figure out what he was hiding. He flinched at her stare before sighing again.

"I'm worried," he confessed. Marinette nodded at him, urging him to keep going. Adrien took a deep breath. He bounced his leg a little, trying to figure out how to tell Marinette.

He looked back up to see Marinette waiting patiently. "I'm afraid I'm just like my father," he blurted out and immediately winced. That was not how we wanted to say it.

"Like your….like him? What do you mean?" Marinette frowned, genuinely baffled.

"Fa–Gabriel was doing this because he wanted to bring my mom back. He loved her so much that everyone else was nothing in comparison. I loved her too but obviously not as much as him. It's not like I didn't want her back, because I _did_. I even thought...for just a second!" He rushed to correct, not wanting Marinette to get the wrong idea. Her face grew thoughtful as she contemplated him.

He took a deep breath before continuing to ramble.

"And it scared me because, if Fa–Gabriel can do that for who he loves then, well maybe I can too. We are related after all and we probably love in the same way, I mean look at you and your parents. And I…" he trailed off when Marinette put up a hand to stop him.

"First, why are you calling your father by name?"

Adrien gaped at her, not having expected that to be her first question. "Why?" He scoffed in disbelief. "You were the one who handed him over to the cops m'lady."

"I know that," Marinette hesitated before speaking. "But he's still your father."

At her words, Adrien's face darkened. "Well, I don't want him to be." Marinette tried to talk to him about it but he shook his head.

"No, Marinette. You immediately thought M. Raincomprix was blaming me for what he had done, remember?"

"But he wasn't," She countered.

"No, he wasn't. The rest of Paris will though and I won't blame them. If I were them, I'd blame me too. But I also don't want to remain connected to him. Besides, he wasn't much of a father. Why act like he was by keeping my connection to him?"

At his words Marinette nodded.

"The other thing," she began, watching to see if Adrien could handle further discussion. After a beat, she continued. "The other thing is how can you be so stupid, Adrien?"

He reeled back in surprise as Marinette continued, a fierce glare trained on him.

"You are a good person. How can you think anything but? You think wishing for a second that you could have your family back, makes you selfish? That your mother who you love so much, could be back in your life, to have that fantasy for a moment is selfish?"

"No, Adrien, that makes you _human_. There isn't a person in the world who wouldn't want the same if they were in your position. And you forgot the most important part, Kitty."

He blinked at her. "You didn't do it. You had the opportunity and you didn't. And not because you don't love your mother or anything like that. It was because you _do_ love your mother so much that you knew she would never approve of such a thing. The only one selfish here was Gabriel Agreste."

Adrien wanted to cut in but Marinette kept going. "He didn't care who he hurt so long as he got what he wanted. He didn't even have the foresight to think about how your mother would feel once she found out what he did! And Nathalie was no better! She enabled him to keep going. She knew it was wrong but didn't care so long as she got to spend time with him. You could never be that way!"

Marinette was panting after all that. Adrien gave her a wry smile. "You're done ranting?"

She took in another few breaths before replying. "Depends. Do you believe me?" He shrugged and Marinette threw up her hands. "Why not, Adrien? Why are you so sure you're capable of being that way?"

"Because I would do it for you in a heartbeat!" He shot back without thinking.

Marinette's eyes went wide as she took that in. Adrien's did too as he realized what he had just said. He licked his lips and swallowed trying to find something to say. Anything that would correct the situation he had just landed himself in.

"Marinette?" He asked nervously, glancing at her to see her reaction. Marinette was just staring at him, utterly shocked. He could feel dread coiling in his stomach. He couldn't lose her, he _couldn't_. Not her and especially not now. Not ever when he stopped to think about it.

"Marinette?" He said again, gently squeezing her hand to bring her back to reality.

"Y-you. F-for me?" She stammered. He pursed his lips, worry gnawing at him. He snuck a look at the kwamis, terrified of their reaction. Both Tikki and Plagg were watching calmly.

Marinette still seemed to be processing so he turned to them. "Plagg. Tikki. I just–,"

"It's okay, Adrien. It's not a surprise," Tikki interrupted him calmly.

"What do you mean it's not a surprise?" Marinette squeaked out, sounding as if she were being strangled.

"You're the holders of the Black Cat and Ladybug Miraculous. If something happened to either one of you, the other one would naturally be devastated. Duh," Plagg told them, as if he were bored and simply asking for cheese.

At that, both Marinette and Adrien gaped at him.

"You two are partners in every sense of the word," Tikki explained better. "Two halves of a whole. One part isn't very good on its own."

"Every one of my holders has thought the same thing. That if anything happened to their Bug, the Wish it is." Despite his words, Plagg didn't look very worried. "As if the Cat would ever let anything happen to the Bug in the first place," Plagg shrugged.

"Yes, and even if it does happen, the Cat knows very well the Bug would hate them for it," Tikki added. "Much like you know, your mother would disapprove of your father's actions."

Marinette shot Adrien a triumphant look before shock overtook her again.

Adrien wanted to protest but Plagg didn't let him. "Listen, kid, every single one of our holders has said the same thing. Yet the wish has never happened. Another thing, your father was messed up but you are a good person. Otherwise the old man would have never given me to you."

"Plagg!" Tikki scolded before sighing. "Though he is right. The power of Creation and Destruction is too much for just anyone to handle. Dangerous as well. It is only because you two have each other and the personalities required to wield us, that Master chose you both."

"So stop your worrying," Plagg added.

"Plagg!" Tikki groaned. Adrien gave a tiny smile and peeked at Marinette. He slowly reached out to her and she grabbed his hand tightly.

She murmured something too softly for his ears to catch and refused to look at him.

"What?" He croaked out, suddenly afraid all his fears were coming true.

She lifted her head slightly and repeated herself. "Marinette, I...I'm sorry I still can't hear you." Adrien watched fretfully as she squared her shoulders and yelled in his face.

"I said I love you too!" Her face was a bright red and she was still looking away from him.

"What," he said again, this time in surprise.

"I _know_ you heard me that time," Marinette complained. Adrien could feel his face getting hot as he let out a laugh.

"I'm glad," he grinned at her.

"Are you sure you're okay? I keep doing this, making things about other things…" Adrien cut off Marinette's rambling by pulling her into another tight hug. She squeaked before wrapping her arms around him.

"Thank you for being here with me, Marinette. I wouldn't be able to do this without you."

"Always, Adrien."

As he pulled away, she stepped forward and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. His face grew hotter and they smiled at each other. There was a lot of pain ahead of them, but they would get through it together.

* * *

"People of Paris!" Ladybug was on top of the podium, Adrien as Chat Noir by her side. "We are finally safe from all akumatizations! Hawkmoth has been defeated and sentenced! He has also lost possession of his Miraculous and will never be a threat to the citizens of Paris ever again!"

"Ladybug! Chat Noir!" It was Nadja Chamack thrusting her microphone into the air.

"Why did you two wait so long after Hawkmoth's arrest to tell us the truth?"

"I'll answer that," Adrien spoke up. "We simply wanted the trial to go smoothly and without interruption. Hawkmoth turned out to be a celebrity! The police needed some time to gather evidence and present it to the courts. We also wanted to do so without media interruption. We wouldn't want an accidental obstruction of justice, after all!"

Nadja nodded at them, as she tried to move closer to the podium. "And what do you two have to say about Hawkmoth being renowned fashion designer Gabriel Agreste?"

"It is unfortunate that Mr. Agreste chose to harm the people of Paris, but we were not privy to his thought processes," Ladybug replied firmly.

"What about his son?" Nadja persisted.

"His son had no involvement and was the hero who allowed us to ultimately find and defeat Hawkmoth," Adrien replied smoothly.

"Chat Noir!" It was Alya Césaire. "Are you trying to say that without Adrien Agreste, Hawkmoth would still be at large?"

"Purr-cisely," Adrien winked. It was no coincidence Alya had asked such a question to paint Adrien in a good light. He, Ladybug, Alya and Nino had worked out all possible angles beforehand.

"Could it be that he was trying to cover for himself?" Nadja shot in.

"Of course not. Adrien had vague suspicions and invited us to come at a time when he knew his father had no obligations to see to. It was simply unfortunate for Gabriel Agreste that we discovered evidence of his being Hawkmoth when we arrived. Evidence which he confirmed when confronted."

"Ladybug! How are you so certain Gabriel Agreste will be unable to retrieve the Miraculous once he is released from custody?" Alya questioned this time.

"The Miraculous are hidden in a safe place. I'm afraid I can't tell all of you lovely people where, though! That would defeat the purpose!" Ladybug smiled charmingly. Behind Alya, Nino gave them both a discreet thumbs-up.

"Now that Paris' resident supervillain has been defeated, does that mean we will no longer be seeing Ladybug and Chat Noir?" It was Nadja, trying to wrestle back control from the Ladyblogger.

"Of course not! That would be claw-ful!" Adrien mock-frowned.

"You will just be seeing _less_ of us," Ladybug added. "Now that there is no villain on the loose, Chat Noir and I would like the chance to be normal people. But we will always be here for the people of Paris when they need us."

"I'm afraid that concludes our time for today!" Adrien smiled brightly.

"Goodbye! We hope to see you all being safe and happy!" Ladybug wished into the cameras flashing at her.

"Bug out!" She threw her yo-yo and swung out. Adrien followed suit on his staff. Once they were both far away from the cameras and in a secluded alleyway, they released their transformations and fed their kwamis.

Adrien could finally let out a sigh of relief. After all this time, he was no longer living in the world of what-ifs. He'd fully embraced the present and all it had to offer.

They both looked up at the sound of pounding feet.

"Over here!" Marinette called out and they ran towards them.

"Did you two _have_ to go so far?" Alya was panting.

"Of course we did. Plus the running is great practice for Rena!" Adrien grinned as Alya scowled at him.

"That was great, dudes!" Nino grinned back at Adrien and slung an arm around him.

"Are you sure?" Marinette fretted.

"Of course girl! Even Nadja Chamack can't make things sound bad!" Alya punched the air. "You two rocked!"

"I'm so happy to hear that!" Tikki chimed in. Plagg shrugged as he flew over to Marinette for some more cheese, which she happily supplied.

"Y'know Pigtails, you really are a great Guardian," Plagg gushed while drooling over the cheese croissants. Adrien rolled his eyes in response, much to his friends' amusement.

"So now what?" Alya asked them. Marinette and Adrien locked eyes. "Now we…" Marinette began slowly and Adrien finished for her.

"Have some free time to hang out!"

"Awesome! Ice-cream?" Nino questioned.

"I'll let the Gorilla know," Adrien nodded in agreement.

"It was really awesome that he adopted you," Alya said softly.

Adrien shrugged at her. "We bonded. I'm just lucky my Aunt Amelie agreed to it too, so long as we do visits on holidays."

Marinette hooked her arm around Adrien's. "That _was_ wonderful of her. Now, let's go get some ice-cream?"

She looked at Adrien suggestively. He nodded back. Without a second thought they raced off, much to Alya and Nino's surprise.

"Hey! Wait up!" Alya called out.

"Not cool, dudes!" Nino agreed as they ran after them, laughing all the way. They were happy and finally free.

**Author's Note:**

> Another thank you to the Miraculous Fanworks Discord Server for all of their help and encouragement! Click on the link to join us!
> 
> As always you can find me on Tumblr


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